Conference Showcases Undergraduate Student Research

Students from 13 area colleges and universities presented their research at the 23rd annual Undergraduate Student Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference at Penn State Behrend on Saturday, April 12. More than 200 students explained projects that advance a wide range of topics, including:

The ecological damage from road salt that washes into Presque Isle Bay

The statistical value of scoring first in NHL games

The use of canine DNA in forensic analysis of crime scenes

The ability of fingernail clams to pass through predator fish without dying

The "cool" factor in tech products, and how it differs by gender among millennials

The oral and poster presentations, which began at 8 a.m. in the Fasenmyer, Hammermill, Nick and Witkowski buildings, and in Roche Hall, were open to the public. An awards ceremony followed in Erie Hall.

The annual conference is sponsored by Penn State Behrend and the Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter of Sigma Xi, an international, multidisciplinary research society. The participating students attend Penn State Behrend, Allegheny College, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Grove City College, Slippery Rock University, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Westminster College and the Penn State campuses in Altoona, DuBois, Shenango and York.

Penn State Behrend provides approximately $350,000 each year to support undergraduate research by students. That year-round support includes research and travel grants and summer research fellowships.